5 Lessons From Having 5 Jobs in 5 Years

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string(5161) "It’s been 5 years since I signed the employment contract for what I believed was my dream job. Since accepting that opportunity five years ago I have accepted 4 others. Yes, that’s right I have had 5 jobs in 5 years. They call it “job hopping” and The Undercover Recruiter talks about different types of job hoppers on their blog.
Whilst I am still trying to crack the reason(s) why I have left my jobs (that’s a whole other blog) I thought about sharing what I have learned working for 5 different organisations across 3 countries in such a short time.
It’s Not About The Money, Money, Money
Many times I have interviewed candidates and they have said they have left a job for better earning potential. When I get that answer, I always ask them if I had offered you a job that just ticked the money box would you accept and they all say no and that tells me that money alone is never the right reason for accepting an opportunity.
I have been guilty of this many times, leaving for more money, accepting counter offers of more money and honestly it didn’t last. Yes money is important but make sure that you consider the opportunity as a whole: Factors such as career opportunity, ability to work with industry leaders, further study, flexibility, overall job satisfaction and your ability to add value.
It’s A Small World After All
Changing jobs and moving around in an industry allows you to build your network but it can also work against you if you are careless with your reasons for leaving or don't handle resignations and exit processes correctly.
Always make sure that you do the right thing when resigning and exiting a business. Be truthful and honour contractual obligations. A solid network increases the pool of people who can provide reference on your performance and work ethic, whether good or bad.
You Learn
When you move from one role to another the learning curve is steep. You may know the job but adjusting to a new team, culture and organisation requires learning. You might even learn about yourself in the process. What you like, what you don’t and what you’re capable of.
A job change to a more senior role may require you to seriously step it up and learn new skills. I recommend biting off more than you can chew to anyone; I certainly do! (OK I can’t take credit for that advice, thanks Alanis.)
What my job hopping has taught me is that I know where my strengths lie, I am able to step up when required, I can find my way around new systems easily and I can adjust to new environments very quickly. On top of all that I have picked up a lot of new skills too.
Take Chances
One of my (many) mantras is “Be courageous, take risks and make mistakes.”
One of the opportunities presented to me in the last 5 years was to move my whole life 10,383km from my home in South Africa and my family. Although daunting at the time, the only thing I knew to do was to grab it with both hands and embrace it.
Sometimes a new career or job can seem overwhelming but if you you’re not courageous and willing to take chances, you’ll just never know and in the end mistakes are okay too.
Don't Worry, Be Happy
This is probably the biggest lesson I have learned. Every job, every organisation, has good and bad traits. I used to place so much value on everyday being a good day and if it wasn’t all-good, all of the time I wouldn’t be happy, but I have learnt that you need to roll with it.
Some days jobs, bosses, clients or colleagues will seem horrible. You cannot let these situations be motivation for wanting to leave a job or organisation. That being said, if it’s bad all of the time then maybe something needs to be done about it.
However the biggest thing is to work on how you manage each situation. In my career I have allowed little things to throw me off track but I have made a conscious decision to have a positive outlook. It’s not always easy but it’s worth it.
So yes, the last few jobs have certainly taught me about myself but I am starting to think that maybe I’m just a Gen Y trapped in an X-er’s body?? Now that’s another blog post right there too!!
What has changing careers or jobs taught you?"
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Whilst I am still trying to crack the reason(s) why I have left my jobs (that’s a whole other blog) I thought about sharing what I have learned working for 5 different organisations across 3 countries in such a short time.

It’s Not About The Money, Money, Money

Many times I have interviewed candidates and they have said they have left a job for better earning potential. When I get that answer, I always ask them if I had offered you a job that just ticked the money box would you accept and they all say no and that tells me that money alone is never the right reason for accepting an opportunity.

I have been guilty of this many times, leaving for more money, accepting counter offers of more money and honestly it didn’t last. Yes money is important but make sure that you consider the opportunity as a whole: Factors such as career opportunity, ability to work with industry leaders, further study, flexibility, overall job satisfaction and your ability to add value.

It’s A Small World After All

Changing jobs and moving around in an industry allows you to build your network but it can also work against you if you are careless with your reasons for leaving or don’t handle resignations and exit processes correctly.

When you move from one role to another the learning curve is steep. You may know the job but adjusting to a new team, culture and organisation requires learning. You might even learn about yourself in the process. What you like, what you don’t and what you’re capable of.

A job change to a more senior role may require you to seriously step it up and learn new skills. I recommend biting off more than you can chew to anyone; I certainly do! (OK I can’t take credit for that advice, thanks Alanis.)

What my job hopping has taught me is that I know where my strengths lie, I am able to step up when required, I can find my way around new systems easily and I can adjust to new environments very quickly. On top of all that I have picked up a lot of new skills too.

Take Chances

One of my (many) mantras is “Be courageous, take risks and make mistakes.”

One of the opportunities presented to me in the last 5 years was to move my whole life 10,383km from my home in South Africa and my family. Although daunting at the time, the only thing I knew to do was to grab it with both hands and embrace it.

Sometimes a new career or job can seem overwhelming but if you you’re not courageous and willing to take chances, you’ll just never know and in the end mistakes are okay too.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

This is probably the biggest lesson I have learned. Every job, every organisation, has good and bad traits. I used to place so much value on everyday being a good day and if it wasn’t all-good, all of the time I wouldn’t be happy, but I have learnt that you need to roll with it.

Some days jobs, bosses, clients or colleagues will seem horrible. You cannot let these situations be motivation for wanting to leave a job or organisation. That being said, if it’s bad all of the time then maybe something needs to be done about it.

However the biggest thing is to work on how you manage each situation. In my career I have allowed little things to throw me off track but I have made a conscious decision to have a positive outlook. It’s not always easy but it’s worth it.

So yes, the last few jobs have certainly taught me about myself but I am starting to think that maybe I’m just a Gen Y trapped in an X-er’s body?? Now that’s another blog post right there too!!